Video conference with the Hon Andrew Hastie MP, Federal Member for Canning Assistant Minister for Defence

Assistant Minister for Defence, Andrew Hastie MP said the Government is tackling cybercriminals head-on to support Australian organisations and individuals from cyber compromise.

“In 2018 the Australian Cyber Security Centre was established within the Australian Signals Directorate as the standing taskforce that combines the expertise of foreign and domestic law enforcement and intelligence agencies to fight cybercrime,” Assistant Minister Hastie said.

“The Australian Signals Directorate has used, and will continue to use, its broad range of offensive cyber capabilities to disrupt and bring cybercriminal syndicates targeting Australia to their knees. Offensive cyber is just one of the tools in Australia’s toolkit.

“The ACSC provides vital advice and assistance to defend Australian businesses and individuals against ransomware, and brings together the Australian Signals Directorate’s intelligence, offensive cyber and cyber security capabilities to defend Australia’s interests from malicious cyber actors.

“The ACSC takes the information it learns from cyber attacks against Australian businesses, and uses it to warn and protect further Australian organisations from being targeted.

The ACSC has published a ransomware Prevention and Protection Guide, and Emergency Response Guide. The guides are available here.

“I encourage Australian organisations to report their ransomware incidents to the ACSC so we can protect and warn all organisations and build better overall cyber defences for ‘Team Australia’.

Any cybercriminal operating on the dark web or hiding behind encryption should be on notice that the full range of Australia’s intelligence and law enforcement capabilities are being aimed at you”, Assistant Minister Hastie said.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry ACCI held a zoom session with Andrew Hastie.

The Minister recently launched the Government’s Act Now Stay Secure cyber security campaign with a focus on ransomware, in which cyber criminals use malicious software designed to block access to a computer system and its data until its owners pay a sum of money as a ransom. The Act Now Stay Secure campaign is focussed on supporting Australian organisations and individuals from cyber compromise.